Soul Guardians
by DragonSword35d
Summary: Rating may change. It was supposed to be a simple camping trip. Just to get me out of the house. I chose not to be a trainer for this very purpose! To be void of adventure! Guess I should have chosen my words more carefully. oc Main Character.
1. Chapter 1

Greetings. I am Dragonsword35d. This is the story written by myself, and my sister, Inuotaku911. We have been working on the details of this story for some time, now. I hope you like what we have to present. I know that the first few chapters will be far too short, but we will be trying for longer. Due to classes, there will be no set update rate, as InuOtaku911 also has her own story to write. I do encourage you to look it up. So sit back and enjoy the prologue, as much as one can, anyway.

* * *

Prologue

Dawn. A sign of new beginnings. A sign of renewal. It is the signal of rising, of the end of the night. And with it, comes all things. Both good and bad. Come with this one, as we enter a world of wonder and awe. See this world for all that it is. All the sorrow, pain, and tragedy. All the joy, ecstasy, and comedy. And together, with this one, watch a new destiny unfold.

_When the child of the trees is freed from its prison and meets the Mistress of Souls,_

_when the fang of the river and the breath of fire come under her gaze,_

_ thus shall unlock the Key of Stones._

_ And the great power shall arise once more._

_ But know this: when the forgeries arise to take their place,_

_ the balance shall be offset, and the world will come to its greatest peril._

* * *

To damn short. I know, but it is meant as a sort of teaser. But more will come as soon as all the alterations are complete. I would prefer to get this right the first time, and not have to go back and rewrite. I find it anoying when it happens and won't do it to you.


	2. It starts with an egg

**Chapter 1: It starts with an egg.**

"I hate camping," I said for the eighteenth time that afternoon. We were walking for what seemed like forever, my father and I. He somehow got it into his head that a camping trip would be good bonding time. That jerk. I HATE leaving the house, and he damn well knows it.

"Now, Kaede, if you don't leave the house once in a while, how do you expect to find a decent husband? Trust me, it will do you some good."

What kind of father would want his daughter to find a boy? I just had to ask.

"The kind with a computer geek for a daughter. Hell, I'd pay for the hotel myself if it got you out of the house." Seriously.

My eye was twitching. With parents like this, how could they wonder why I don't leave the house? We finally stopped and began to make camp. I guess this is a good time to introduce myself. My name is Minami Kaede, age 16. I'm an average looking girl, though I have white hair that goes down to my waist. For the record, _yes_, it's natural. I'm wearing some loose jeans and my favorite blue hoodie over a red t-shirt with black flames one it. I like to have my pokéball hairclip and my blue, fingerless gloves with silver pentagrams on the back. I'm a little short, only 5"3', which irritates me to no end. I have a medium stature, though my skin is a bit pale due to that I just about live at my computer. My most unique quality is my eyes. Under light green, low-rimmed glasses are stunning blue eyes with wisps of silver. I think I'm fairly average, but who knows?

We finished setting up the equipment after about half an hour. Nothing special happened, just grumbling about being stuck here, my father talking about my health, bickering over my nonexistent love life. Just the usual. As night fell, we ate dinner, said our peace, and turned in for the evening.

Later, I felt a nightly disturbance. Not much to do about it. I left the tent to find a tree that wouldn't give me a rash. Not easy, considering the lighting. As I moved through the trees, I saw a light moving in the woods. I would have passed it off as a local shinobi, Fuchsia is rather famous for them. However, something told me otherwise.

It might have been the large amount of swearing, for one. Even a Genin would now better than to give away his position. More importantly, it was the mention of a package and a 'Lord Tyranny.' _That_ stopped me cold.

Tyranny is a well known, world renowned, leader of a criminal organization. Publicly, he is the mysterious head of an advance technology company called Void Inc. Unofficially, he is the crime lord of the planet that everybody knows about, but no one can prove. The fact that his lackeys were here was big. So, like any normal person, I decided to snoop.

"Hurry up, ya damn pussies!" yelled a man built like a mountain, with a giant beard. They were definitely Void employees. On their clothes was the void symbol, a cracked yin yang of red and blue. The grunts were hauling a rather large chest with four handles. Whatever it was, it was probably very heavy, very valuable, or very delicate. Judging by the way they were carrying it, it's most likely the latter.

"Does Lord Tyranny even know we have this thing?" one of them dared to ask.

"Of course he does! Do you think I would be here otherwise?" he responded in his gruff voice. "I'm the Admin Gozu! My orders come directly from the Master! Now hear this, if anything, anything at all, happens to that egg, I would honestly suggest that you kill yourselves on the spot." The grunts gulped as they thought about the punishments should they fail.

I gasped, horrified at the treatment they could receive. They may be evil, but they're still human. Apparently I gasped a little too loudly, because the next thing I heard was "Hey! We know you're there!" I stepped out of the bushes, shaking like a leaf, and said "Please don't hurt me!"

I was imagining just what they could do to me, when Gozu decided to play 20 Questions. "Who are you? How long were you there and what did you hear? Why should we let you live?" By now, the grunts had set down the chest ad ran. They obviously didn't want to see what Gozu would do.

Staying as calm as possible, I started to explain myself. "I'm just a teen! I didn't hear anything! Don't kill me, I'll forget everything!" As I was speaking, I found myself edging towards the abandoned chest. The admin seemed strangely calm when he replied.

"If you didn't see or hear anything, why would you need to forget? Looks like you need to be disposed of!" I froze, just to the side of the chest, and my eyes widened in fright. He didn't seem to notice that I had moved.

Gozu started walking toward me, and I backed away, closer to the chest. He told me to stay still, but I tripped over the chest. The wood must have been pretty weak, considering that it broke open. I landed on the ground and opened my eyes without realizing that I had closed them in the first place. In my lap sat a green egg with rune-like markings.

As if on cue, the strange marks shone a bright light. Both Gozu and myself were frozen in awe. The light was so intense, I had to shield my eyes. Suddenly, I heard the small voice of a young boy.

_Do you wish to be protected?_ it asked me. _Do you wish to survive?_

"Yes!" I managed to squeak, tears in my eyes.

_Then command me, you who shares her soul. Command me! Give me an order, my Mistress!_

"Help me!" I screamed, and the light, for lack of a better term, shattered. Before me kneeled a Treecko with the same markings as the egg. The runes decorated its entire body and its fierce eyes were rimmed with blue.

It stood and threw a glare at the Admin. It shimmered green, and the leaves around us rose from the ground and swirled around it. When they dissipated, a young boy stood in its place. He had green hair, the same runes, and was wearing clothes made of leaves. Gozu couldn't seem to get over his shock.

"Her? The prison reacted to her?!"

"You made a very grave mistake," said the boy who couldn't be older than eight. His voice was sharp and cold like a blade. "when you dared to touch my mistress. For this transgression, I, the child of the trees, shall end you!"

Stunned by this new revelation, I could only say one thing.

"Holy shit!"

And with that, I promptly fainted.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2 is now up. Now, do be patient with me, both the plot and the story it self will be moving along some what slowly to start with. After a while I will get a bit of momentum with this stuff. I do hope you enjoy this. For the record, Treecko and it's kin will be showing their special speech through the following: ~_this_~. Now, too the story, onward!

* * *

Chapter 2: Dream come true, or living nightmare?

It was just barely morning when I awoke. At first, I simply wondered where I was. I saw trees all around me, and I was sitting in dirt. Trees? I don't have any trees in my room. Come to think of it, there shouldn't be any dirt, either. Slowly, the fog of my mind left me.

"That's right, we were out camping," I said aloud, trying to focus. "but then, where is the camp? Better yet, where am I?"

I recalled the trip into the woods. I remembered the large stone that was near my tent. I needed to take a leak, and then… I shook my head to clear the ridiculous notions going through my mid. That had to be a dream, right? I new there was no way I really came across a criminal organization in the Fuchsia woods! And what of the Treecko egg? A funny voice from nowhere? As if! And do I even need to mention the Treecko changing into a human?

"That's it," I said to myself. "no more outdoorsy food." And then I heard it.

"Treecko."

Slowly, I turned around, eyes wide, praying for it to be one of my father's sick jokes. But, alas, there behind me knelt a Treecko with rune markings all over its body. Its eye's that shone with a fiery determination last night were now dimmed by the obvious fatigue from probably staying awake all night. Now, with little choice, I accepted that last night's events were no dream. However, I took notice of an important detail: the admin was nowhere in sight. I don't know what happened after I fainted, but at least he was gone.

"I guess that wasn't a dream, huh?" I sighed in defeat.

"Tree." The Treecko shook its head and started glowing again.

_~With this, I use the last of my energy. I ask that you, my mistress, would watch over my body as I sleep. I shall explain myself in full to you later.~_ The Treecko stopped glowing and collapsed.

Since the Treecko had, apparently, saved my ass last night, I figured I could follow his request. Besides, I was looking forward to its explanation. After taking a minute to remember the way back to camp, I picked up the Treecko and headed back.

My mind was swimming at what had happened, both last night and just now. And here I thought that I was just run-of-the-mill. I've led my life with little surprises, and now I run into a talking Treecko, who can change into a human and calls me "mistress." Now, I could probably think of about a hundred questions, but my main concerns were of the Treecko that may, or may not have, saved my life. My thoughts ranging from "What will Dad think?" and "When will this Treecko wake up?

I finally got back to camp, sore from carrying the Treecko. This guy was heavy! As silently as I could, I crept back to my tent. I gently laid the Pokémon down and stared at him before setting my sheets over him.

I climbed out of the tent, and my eyes shot open. Standing in front of me was my dad with a strange smile on his face. "Well, look who's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning," he said cheerfully. "I guess you had a good night's sleep."

I gape at him for a minute before snapping out of it. I say, "That saying is weird, but yes, I did have a good sleep." Especially after I fainted, but he didn't need to know that. "So, what's for breakfast?"

He handed me a pack of pop-tarts. Goody, real food. I sat down on the stone by my tent. It had a rather flat surface on the top, making it an excellent seat. After finishing my food, I went to a nearby Pecha tree to pick some berries. Why? Simple, the voice said that it was the last of its energy. Add that to the fact that it was a newborn that had yet to eat anything at all. It was probably starving.

I was on my way back to my tent when I heard my father yell. I rushed back to find him on his butt, backing away from the Treecko, who was glaring at him. Apparently, my father had gone into my tent (probably for the bug spray), and had woke up the Treecko. An overprotective Treecko who saw him as trespassing on his mistress's territory. Joy.

"Alright, break it up. Dad, get up. You look like a wuss," I told him, and turned to the Treecko. "You need to calm down. Here, have a berry."

My father slowly got up, weary of the newcomer. The Treecko was munching on the Pecha berry with great vigor. After it finished, it looked into my eyes before jumping onto my sitting rock to survey the area.

My father turned to me. "Are you going to explain this, or do I have to play a guessing game?"

"I'm not so sure myself," I told him. "I was out last night to take a pi-"

My father whacked me on the head. "Language!" my father said in that rare, fatherly tone.

"Fine, I went to 'relieve myself of liquid waste,' when I stumbled upon an egg (technically, not a lie). Before I new it, it hatched. It attracted the attention of a few cranky Pidgey, I think. It was hard to see (I was unconscious), but the Treecko defended me. I figured I should repay it."

"You mean to tell me that a newborn grass-type took out some flying-types from around here? Amazing! I think you should keep it!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah… I think I might. He seems to be pretty attached to me and will make a great partner were I to travel." Plus, I still wanted that explanation. How can he transform, how can I hear him in my head, and how does Void fit into all this?

"Oh, really?" my dad questioned, trying to keep his face straight.

"Hey! Just because I said that doesn't mean that I'm actually going to leave!"

"Whatever you say, Kaede. Bringing you to Fuchsia Forest was the best thing I ever did. Your first night and you find a friend, whether you admit it or not. You've always kept to yourself, and I'm proud of you."

With that, he reached over to grab me in a hug. I was surprised, but let him do it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Treecko glancing over. I motioned for him to come, and he slowly approached. He started to kneel, but I placed my hand on his head. He looked up and saw the smile on my face. I guess his explanation could wait till later. At least until I could get dressed.

* * *

Once again, I think this to be to short, but I am going to be working on that. I give special thanks to my sister, InuOtaku911, for the aid in moving this story along.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

After another _joyous_ day in the woods of the great Fuchsia area, mostly spent trying to convince the Treecko from doing every single one of my chores for me, we settled down for dinner. I was fixing a stew from various berries I had come across in the woods. My father, however, was busy grilling some fish he had caught earlier. Treecko seemed to be rather content sitting on a branch above me, arms crossed as it watched me cook. Not that this was my first time cooking, far from it. One learns a great many thing on the web.

"The fish are just about done over here!" my father called out, flipping another one over, "How goes that stew of yours?"

"Just fine, it's nearly done," I yelled back. We would have had a bit of difficulty hearing each other otherwise, what with the roar of the flames and bubbling from the food. As one would imagine, this can be loud when coupled with the sounds of nature around us.

As my father and I began to eat, the Treecko was trying to figure out just how to eat the steaming-hot stew. Chuckling, I handed the Grass-type a straw. Apparently understanding what it was, the Treecko began drinking the stew. Yet another curiosity I had noticed about the little Pokémon, along with various others, such as the fact that it didn't appear to hold the pathological fear of fire that most Grass-types typically have. I was definitely looking forward to that explanation it promised me.

After dinner was done and dealt with, clean dishes included, my father went off to do whatever the hell it was he did when he was alone, leaving me with a golden chance to speak with that Treecko. I got up and motioned for it to follow me. We made our way back into the clearing where we had met the night before. This whole mess began here, so what better place to learn the rest?

"Okay, start talking. I want to hear everything, so leave nothing out, you got it?" I ordered.

Treecko nodded, and began glowing once more, but what came was not a speech in my mind, like I assumed. Instead it, or should I say he, took on his human appearance. Having seen it before, however briefly it was, I was not as surprised as I would have been.

This time, however, I took the time to take in the details of the newly formed human in front of me. He looked like, for the most part, a normal boy of no more than eight, save for the odd coloration and markings. His hair, which fell around his ears, was forest green with black tips. The rune-like markings still covered his body, as far as I could tell. His eyes, looking as sharp as ever, were not that of a human, but a Treecko.

Instead of being naked, as you would assume, he wore an odd garb of leaves and grass. He had a sort of grass-skirt around his waist, though it was woven in such a way for one not to think of it as one. Rings of leaves circled his wrists and ankles like bracers, and then there were the leaves and grass that made an odd vest. They were placed to look similar to armor. In fact, it may just have been, who knows?

There was so much detail that I had missed the first time. Everything from head to toe was oddly mesmerizing, especially the abnormal muscle tone. Then again, just about everything about the pseudo Pokémon was abnormal.

"This form takes up less energy than the voicing, my mistress," he explained, noting my fascination. "You must understand, before I begin this tale, that this dates back not decades, or even centuries. No, this began several thousand eons ago, back on the great continent of Mu, the land of the Void."

I raised my hand. "Excuse me, two questions." He nodded. "Okay, first off, how long is an eon?"

"Ah, an eon is 1 billion years. Needless to say, it was quite a while ago. Your second question, my mistress?"

"Yeah, just what is 'Mu'? Is it like the continent of Atlantis?"

"In a sense," he replied. "The continent of Mu fades in and out of this plain of reality every hundred years or so. It will stay here for about ten years and then vanish again for another hundred. So it has picked up a few titles in its time, such as Atlantis, Avalon, Oz, and the like.

"It is a land native to those such as myself, Pokémon with the ability to become human, and humans that can do the reverse. Their lesser descendants in this world would be what you call Lycans, taking midway forms. I would assume your bloodline runs along a thinner trail than even this. You are either one whose blood is so thin that you can not change but keep the traits, or you have the latent complete ability."

"You're serious?" I asked. I hadn't seen that coming. He nodded.

"Yes, I believe so, but we may test this out later. You are here for answers, not theories. Shall I continue?" I nodded and he went on.

"The main point of concern comes in the form of several upstarts, the worst of them being some humans of power with the gall to refer to themselves as the 'Legion of Legend.' A bunch of pompous pricks, the lot of 'em. Seeing, though, as this world is not being run by them, I assume they were defeated and trapped in Pokémon form as punishment for their crimes. They probably ended up being called something ironic like 'the legendary Pokémon' or something arrogant like that." He stared at me, and then smacked himself on the forehead. "They are, aren't they?" It was kind of funny, actually.

"But that is besides the point," he said, exasperated. "As I was saying, the Legion of Legend were human Void-Shifters that caused a lot of destruction. Bringing forth many tales and legends, like their underlings, the Language Keepers, being banished to another unknown dimension, as I recall.

"Regardless, there were many who fought back. There was one particular group that made the biggest impact. Whether you remember it or not, we were among them, my mistress."

Now, up until just now, I had been paying attention with complete and utter fascination. I _am_ an information sponge, after all. I enjoy my history lessons. But this… this had caught me very much off guard. I mean, I was there several _thousand eons _ago? How is that even remotely possible? Before I could voice these concerns of mine, he began to speak once more.

"I find it understandable that you would know nothing of any of this. You were, after all, one of the very few humans left on our side. That is, at least in part, what made the five of us so formidable. And though our old names have been lost to the sands of time, our titles will never fade. There was myself, The Child of the Trees, you, the Mistress of Souls, and three others: The Fang of the River, the Breath of Fire, and the Key of Stones."

"But what does this all have to do with the legion you mentioned?" I asked. For an explanation, not a whole lot was being explained. He bowed his head in apology.

"My apologies, my mistress. Explanations are not quite my forte, so to speak. To answer your question, there were many battles. I do not know all of them, as I was imprisoned before the end inside that egg. As were the others, if I'm not mistaken. But I do know this, the goal of the Legion of Legend.

"They sought to recreate the world as a whole, to make a false reality with copies of every being, loyal only to them. We stopped them, but at the cost of ourselves. Just as I was imprisoned, I heard the voice of the Traitor of the Legion, Lord Lugia, give a prophecy.

"'When the Child of the Trees is freed from its prison and meets the Mistress of Souls, when the Fang of the River and the Breath of Fire come under her gaze, thus shall unlock the Key of Stones. And the great power shall arise once more. But know this: when the forgeries arise to take their place, the balance shall be offset, and the world will come to its greatest peril.'

"It is from this that I can only surmise that someone will try to complete the work of the Legion of Legend. They will somehow make copies of us, though not exact. That type of power cannot be left unchecked. We will need to locate and either seal or destroy them, but first we must locate the others."

I stood silent for a few moments. I said, "One question, please."

"Of course, my mistress."

"What the _HELL_ have you been smoking!?" I yelled.

"Pardon?" he inquired.

He looked confused, so I calmly answered him. "You know what I'm talking about! Pokémon turning into humans, humans changing into Pokémon, and some strange continent called Mu? How am I supposed to believe all this? For all I know you could be some magician or hypnotist! Or maybe you have a case of Pokérus! All I know is I'm not buying one yen of this!"

After I had stopped my ranting to catch my breath, I took a look at the so-called 'Treecko.' All throughout my yelling, he stayed perfectly calm. About a minute passed with us staring at each other. Finally, he said, "Have you ever noticed anything about yourself, something that doesn't happen to anyone but you, something that you can't explain?"

Instantly my mind jumped to my childhood. Once when I was 4 years old, I had asked my father about where babies come from, and it happened. Years later, I asked about all the childish myths: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. Every time the same thing happened: my eyes glowed. I could tell by the light glaring off my glasses.

Driven from my thoughts, he continued. "Judging from your silence, I would have to say I was correct. You _are_ the Mistress of Souls."

I felt a slight heat rise to my face. I wasn't about to give in so quickly. "Alright smartass," I said, "answer me this. You said that all this happened several thousand _eons_ ago. If that's true, than how am I, a _FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD _girl, this supposed 'Mistress' you keep yammering on about? And I don't want to hear another word from you until you can bring me solid, defining proof!"

And with those last few words, I spun on my heel and headed back to camp. I couldn't hear him following, but my mind drifted to the vague memory of those odd e-mails I had been receiving recently. They were specifically addressed to me, and each said "The end is coming. Team Rocket was hardly the beginning. Help us! Mu Inc. shall bring about nothing but disaster!"


	5. Chapter 5

Before I get into this new chapter, I want make a recommendation for an ongoing story to all those who are interested in Slayers and Ranma1/2. If you enjoy one, or both seires, then look up the story "Anything Goes Dragon Slave" by my sister, InuOtaku911. That is all. Please enjoy the chapter.

**

* * *

Chapter 4: Onward**

Stepping out from beneath the shadows of the trees, I blink my eyes to clear the spots. I looked across the campground and sighed.

"This is certainly _not_ what I had in mind for this getaway." I mumbled to myself. "_The _most _bizarre_ vacation _ever_."

Now, for those of you wondering why I am speaking to myself and behaving as if I had an audience, here would be why this vacation is so damn abnormal.

First of all, my dad drags me, a self-proclaimed and well acknowledged computer geek, into going on a _camping trip_ of all things. I belong in front of a computer. Not a campfire! And to make matters worse, the first night here, I get into a life or death situation. Then, a Treecko with the strangest body markings I have ever laid eyes on, hatches from an egg, with the same markings, that these decidedly labeled 'bad guys' had, and saves my sorry ass. And now, just about a day ago, this same Treecko turns into a human and gives me this story about a lost continent, more Pokémon like him, and _more_ psychos trying to dominate this world (like every other grown man and their grandmother). Confused? Yeah, me too.

"Kaede? Kaede? Hey!"

Snapping out of my trance, I intelligently respond, "huh? What?"

"Boy, you're sure out of it today." Yeah, thanks Dad. "Are you sure you are getting enough sleep?"

I wave him off and continue walking, he followed. About 10 feet away, I start to feel my little green shadow starring at me.

"I'm fine, but that Treecko's starting to creep me out." True, very true. "Everywhere I go, he follows. Have you ever tried to relieve yourself when a Pokémon is staring at you? Very uncomfortable. And really, have you ever seen a Pokémon with such strange markings like that?" Okay, now I'm just reaching.

"Oh, come now," he replies, "Don't you remember? Most species of newly hatched Pokémon think that the first one they see is there mother, duh." Don't you Duh me!

"Right, now I remember." Kind of hard to remember when said Treecko claims to be several thousands of eons old and that _I_ am his Mistress. "But what about those strange markings?" Answer that, smart guy.

"Shouldn't you know? You spend so much of your time on that blasted computer of yours." Shut it, smart ass. "But I have heard about an old legend. About Strange Pokémon like that Treecko, and a lost continent." Whoa! Freeze! Back it up.

"What was that you said?"

Instead of answering, , he pretended not to have heard what I just said. He went into his tent to do who-knows-what and left me standing there trying to keep the flies from my mouth.

~That man knows more than what he lets on, My Mistress. What is his field?~ 'Voiced' the Treecko from the branch where he stood.

"He's a barkeep in Fushia City, our home town, but I don't see what that has to do with anything," I said with a skeptical look on my face. "Besides, you probably don't even know what a barkeep does, despite your claims about your age," the last part I muttered under my breath.

~On the contrary. The stress of a war was best relieved in a bar, when we were able.~ He corrected. ~Further more, Barkeeps know a great deal. Knowing his practice in the field makes much sense now.~

"As if bartenders were so great," I muttered under my breath, which was apparently enough to gain my fathers convenient attention.

"Were you bad talking my job again, Kaede?"

Sporting an innocent look, I replied. "No, I said noffing about your wittle job,"" For added effect, I threw in the female patented pout and big, watery eyes.

"Ha, ha, very funny," he said. This whole time, he had a knowing smirk upon his face.

Thinking all was said and done, I turned back towards the forest. Behind my back, his grin grew larger and had a strange spark in his eyes. He retreated back into his tent for another round of nobody-knows. But while _I_ did not catch his actions, my strange little green shadow did.

"Alright," I said, "Still think he has something to do with all of this?"

~…~ I was treated to silence. He had turned away.

"The silent treatment, eh? Okay, wise guy… lizard… thing!" Okay, that was lame.

More silence, but somehow, I got the feeling he was smirking.

"Uh, fine! I'm going to start dinner."

*_Time skip: One meal later*_

Darkness had long since fallen. Dad had fallen asleep by the time chow was done, and Treecko was silent, which made for a rather awkward meal time. I was finishing dressing for bed when I felt this _presence _outside my tent_._ Dad calls it my Sixth sense, but that just makes no sense. Being a computerholic, I hear stories about the supernatural and all, but I prefer to rely upon facts and logic. Something that damn Treecko seems to enjoy stomping all over. Whatever it is, I could tell it was Treecko, so I called out to him.

"Would you mind telling me why you're stalking me again?"

~Not stalking, My Mistress, guarding. A Guardian must stay both alert and within range of their charge at all times.~ Was his response. Still sounds like stalking to me, though. He came into the tent, still alert, and asked me, ~How did you know I was there, let alone that it was me, before I made my presence known, Mistress?~ He asked this with a gleam in his eyes, something that I could not identify.

"Easy," I said. "There are still embers in the fire. I could see your shadow." Believable enough, and I don't need this guy to have any more ammo.

~Ah, of course, My Mistress,~ he … thought, taking note at the remains of our campfire. ~But surely there was something more to it than that, is there not?~

"I refuse to dignify that with a response," I countered. Treecko bowed his head, acknowledging my words.

~If I may, My Mistress,~ He began, pausing for my approval, before continuing. ~I believe I have located the proof of which you seek.~

I jerked my head towards him. He had proof?! He wasn't supposed to have proof! How could he have proof?! Okay, just calm down. Listen to what he has to say. And if it isn't 100 percent sound, refute it.

"I'm listening," I stated. He nodded his head and began once more.

~You will receive your weapons. They shall restore a portion of your memories.~ He said. I raised an eyebrow to him.

"And just where are these supposed weapons? You don't seem to have them on you." He shuffled his position and sighed.

~That would be the difficult part of the problem. I have found multiple maps of the today's world in your sires' belongings. With them, I was able to scry a location.~ He paused, looking kind of irritated. ~Unfortunately, by my calculations, it is very far away from this place. And it would likely take a month of travel to reach it, at the very least.~ I made a gesture with my hand.

"Show me the map." I said. "Nothing against your map reading skills but you probably read it the wrong way."

I spread out the maps and had Treecko show me where these so-called 'weapons' were supposed to be. My eyes got wide and my jaw dropped at where these things were supposed to be. Oh you have got to be kidding me.

"The League! You are telling me that these things are at the Indigo Plateau?!" He looked at me somewhat quizzically. Then nodded.

~That is what the map called it, yes. Why? What is the significant of this 'league'?~

Of course he wouldn't know. He was practically hatched yesterday. And if his story were to be believed, not that I admit to anything, the Elite Four would not be that old of an organization. I mean, they were old, but nowhere near _that_ old. I looked at him, somewhat exasperated.

"The Indigo Plateau is the Headquarters of the Pokémon league here in the Kanto Region. It is also the home of the Elite Four, a group of the strongest Pokémon Trainers in the region. Plus, the Champion, leader of the Elite," I said. Going into the lecture mode I got from my time as a data sponge. "To get to the Indigo Plateau, one must defeat the eight Gym Leaders of the region and obtain their badges, as proof of victory. Understand? I wouldn't be allowed anywhere _near_ the Plateau unless the Grand Tournament were taking place without the badges! And even then, we would not be able to meet with the league."

~Then, could we not simply just obtain these badges?~ He asked.

I sighed. If only it were that simple. I really don't like where this is going. I explained, in lengthy detail, the procedure of how one normally gets badges. How long it typically takes, at minimum, the experiences, the expenses, the difficulty, and how the last tournament was earlier this year. And of course the fact that you have to actually _win_ the tournament in order to meet and face the League.

~So, when is the next tournament?~ He asked when I had finished.

"In five years." I answered. "It's a huge event that takes months to plan, organize the participants, and fund. They can't hold this thing every year." He nodded, seeming to ponder something.

~Then we have nothing to loose,~ He declared. He elaborated at my confusion. ~We shall go to obtain these badges. In the unlikely event that we fail to obtain them all in time for the next tournament, we can still go, just in a different fashion. It will not hurt us to become more powerful along the way. By your explanation, I judge myself to be at level 1, but with the power of level 33. That may be a bit off, but it is close enough. Going on this quest will raise both and leave me better able to defend you. Though I imagine you will gain power in your own right.~

I didn't believe it. He had me! With logic, at that! He shouldn't have been able to best me at logic! Sigh, oh well. Dad will be happy, at least. I bowed my head in defeat. We were agreed. I would go on the stupid journey.

"I can't believe this. Look, if were going to do this, were going to do it right." I said. He gave me a questioning look. I grabbed the map and pointed. "We start at Pallet Town," I explained. "Even if you are as strong as you say you are, you aren't a match for Lord Koga just yet. We'll take the next boat. Alright?" He got on one knee and bowed. Left fist on the ground, right fist across his chest.

~As you wish, My Mistress.~


	6. Chapter 6

I am sorry if this chapter comes across anyone as strange. Normally, I write the story on paper, and then type it up myself, but this time I had my sister type it. So the style my or may not be a bit off. I'll try to correct the differences between us, but I might miss a few. The main problem is that I use Word, where as she uses the stupid notepad.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

My Father groaned as I sighed for the sixth time today. T put out the fire, watching the smoke disperse into the air. I just couldn't stop thinking about my upcoming journey.

"You know, I'm fairly certain this idea was yours," my dad mused. Oh, how little he knew. "One would assume that the one going on the journey would be happy about it."

I moved towards my tent, grabbing my pack a little closer. I started taking down the tent, whereas Dad had already finished his. Treeko was off near the trees, ever alert. Dad came over to help me and started talking again.

"So, what's your plan?"

"What makes you think I know what I'm doing?" He gave my a look that said 'Do you expect me to believe that?' "Ugh, fine. Once we're done here and take a boat from the south of Fuchia to Pallet Town, I'm going to see if I can get a Pokédex and stock up on items."

"Oh, no computer?" he said with a bemused smirk. "I would have thought you would take it with you no matter what."

"Don't worry about that. I have a plan." He saw a devious look in my eyes and became very wary.

"Well whatever you do, please be careful. Last time I saw you with that look, our microwave burst into flames."

I had the dignity to look sheepish, while I saw both Dad and Treecko smirk. The tent collapsed as the poles slid out of place and I started folding it up.

"Like you never did anything like that in your childhood," I replied, rolling my eyes at them.

"Don't forget that it was burned beyond repair. And you never did explain how it would help you sell puppies."

"Yeah, yeah. Yuck it up," I muttered. "Either way, are you finished packing up? We ought to get going." I stuffed the tent into my bag and hefted it onto my shoulder.

"I've been ready. Although..." he trailed off.

"What?"

"You might want to do something about your 'shadow.' He would draw quite a bit of attention."

I blinked; he was right. I hadn't thought of that. Treecko made his way over from his spot by the trees.

"Okay, you make a good point. But I didn't bring any Pokéballs."

"How about we stop by the Pokemart and you can get him in a Pokéball then?"

"Sure, whatever. So long as you're paying." I hate to admit it, but I'm just about broke. "Alright, let's go!"

We made our way out of the forest without another word. It didn't take long to find the mart, but in that short amount of time, we got quite a lot of stares. I could hear them whispering, their eyes trained on the Pokemon close by my side.

~Is there a problem with these humans?~ he asked, tugging on my sleeve. Of course, I had no way of answering him without blowing our cover. So, I simply nodded, giving him a look.

When we got to there, we bought a basic trainer pack. That is to say: six Pokeballs, two full heals, two of each status restoration medication, and two potions. Everything a rookie trainer needs. As we left I tried to put the little grass stain in a Pokéball. It didn't work.

"Okay, in you go," I said as I laid it on the ground. He bowed and touched it. The ball opened up, attempting to encompass Treecko with its beam. Then, the unthinkable happened. The red glow shattered, as did the Pokéball.

My father whistled. "Well, I'll be. It has Aura Guard!" At my confused, and rightfully so, expression, he explained. "It is an incredibly rare ability. It makes it impossible to place the Pokémon into a Pokéball. It is rumored that all the legendary Pokemon have it. That's why no one has them, despite all the confrontations with them over the years. It also grants immunity to certain attacks like Curse and Confusion."

I turned back to Treecko, gazing at him in wonder yet again. I shouldn't be too surprised, considering I've seen him turn into a human. We stopped at the door, not entirely sure what to do.

"Alright, so what now?"

"We keep going. If people want to stare, let them." He opened the door, ready to go, until he saw I hadn't moved.

"So," I started, hesitating. "I guess this is where we split." I looked down, not one for emotional good-byes.

He set a hand on my head. "Don't think you're getting rid of me so easily. I'm sticking with you until Pallet Town,  
got it?"

I scowled and ducked out from under his hand. Laughter slipped past my lips, breaking my scowl. We strode out of the mart, immediately feeling the people's eyes shift over to our party. I shielded my eyes, blocking the sun's light from blinding me. Making over to the southern part of the town, every look we received I countered with my own.

As we neared the port, I could see Treeko backing up and moving behind the two of us. I began contemplating his behavior as Dad searched for the passes. I'm yanked back into reality as I am pulled downward. I glance over my shoulder to see the gecko pull two slips of paper out of my pack: the passes. Dad takes the passes and hands them over, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Real smooth, Dad.

A crew member escorted us to our cabin. There wasn't much to it: two beds, a trash basket, a clock, a door leading to the bathroom, and, to my relief, a desk with a computer. In one quick motion, my bag was on the floor and I had settled down in front of the computer. Dad started chuckling as Treecko made his way over to the beds. I hear the bed creak as Dad sets his pack down. His footsteps indicate he's going back towards the door.

"I'll be up on the deck if you need me," he called out.

"Uh huh," I grunted, my eyes never leaving the screen. He tried to stifle his laughs, failing miserably. I could see his face in my mind, that bemused smirk sitting on his face. I roll my eyes as the door closes and I start up the Internet.

But instead of the usual window, a strange message appeared. It read "Congratulations for surviving our troops in the forest. We shall celebrate with a bang!" It was then replaced with a five second timer. The first thoughts to go through my head were "No way!" and as I got to the end of the message, it turned to "Oh shit!"

"Run!" I cried, alerting Treecko, who was immediately at my side, grabbing me by the pants and yanked me out the door.  
All under the span of two seconds. I mean, I figured he was fast, but damn! Three seconds later, my computer, at least 980067 yen, and fully upgraded computer, exploded! I cried out over the deafening roar of the explosion. It was then that I noticed the men standing around me, all wielding pokéballs. They wore full-face masks without features of pure white and black overcoats with high collars. But what caught my attention the most, and filled me with dread, was what lay on their chests. The red and blue, broken, yin and yang symbol, mark of the Void.

"Little girl, you have become a thorn in the Void. Accept your fate and DIE!" Their voices spoke as one and they attacked just the same. They launched their Pokeballs into the air and released several Raticate and Fearow.

~Mistress~ Treecko cried. ~Give me an order!~

"Save me!" I cried, and his runes glowed. Several glowing leaves appeared in the air and began spinning and spiraling around him.

~Ancestral Technique!~ The leaves stopped moving. ~Leaf Storm!~ The leaves shot out in all directions, taking out all the offenders as they were shredded. The Pokemon lay bleeding, and their trainers were not much better off. Weakly, one by one, they recalled their Pokemon. Then, they spoke in that creepy unison again, albeit a bit more ragged.

"This is the power of the Soul Guardians! Very well, I shall back off, for now. But be warned little girl, this is far from over."

With that, they vanished from sight. No smoke, no light, no convenient power outage, or even a distraction. They just vanished without a trace, the only evidence being the cuts in the ship left by Treecko's attack. Funny though, Treecko shouldn't be able to learn Leaf Storm. I looked over at him wondering for what felt like the hundredth time, just what was this Pokemon? Then I noticed what should not have been. Treecko was wounded, badly. That couldn't be, he never took a hit. Hell, they didn't have time to launch any. He leaned against the wall, clutching at his sides. There were bruises all over his body, and even a few open wounds!How could this have happened?! When voiced, he tried to respond, but the message was fragmented and garbled. His runes barely even flickered. I was about to ask again, but a voice from behind me interrupted me.

"Don't worry, he just used an attack he couldn't completely handle yet."

I nearly gave myself whiplash, turning my head so fast. There stood a young man, a little older than myself, from the looks of him. He was a below average height, still taller than me, but I would need to stand up to be sure. His hair was a dark shade of blue, but not so dark to be mistaken for black, and darker than the water. It was tied in a braid that seemed to go down to his mid back. His eyes were a gray that shone silver like the moon. He wore some beat up and torn jeans, and a long sleeved shirt of yellow with a deep V at the neck, showing a mesh shirt underneath. Atop his forehead lay some blue goggles, with amber tinted lenses ans the Pokécrest at the bridge. But the most peculiar thing was the Pidgey on his shoulder. A Pidgey, with a familiar rune on its brow! Just who was this guy? And what was he doing with a Pokemon of Mu?

"My name is Saotome Shuichi. Let's get along now!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

I had lost track of how long I had been on the floor. Minutes felt like hours, dragging on. I couldn't seem to bring my eyes away from the newcomer. There was something about this guy that just drew me in. I drifted back into the plane of reality when I realized that he was saying something. My back straightened, more alert. "Huh?" Yeah, real eloquent.

A smirk appeared on his face, creating a rush of blood to my face. This is embarrassing. "I said, are you okay? You had this weird look on your face." He held out his hand, offering it to me.

I sent a glare at him, only to have him laugh. Nonetheless, I took his hand and hoisted myself up. Hm, I was right. My eyes were level with his nose, making him only slightly taller than me.

"Just who are you anyway?"

He gave a small frown, though the spark did no leave his eyes. "I do believe that I gave you my name, already. Saotome Shuichi, or maybe you have short-term memory problems?" He finished with that smirk back on his face.

I scowled. "That's not what I meant. Who are you? Where are you from? How did you find me? And most importantly, what do you know about the Pokémon of Mu?" Each question was a bit rapid fire, but he seemed to take it all in alright.

He raised his hand, sticking three fingers in my face. "First," He said, " your questions will have to be answered later. Next, you may want to help your friend on the floor, there." He pointed to Treecko, who was currently on the ground, barely conscious. "And last, we appear to have drawn some attention."

I turned to the direction he pointed to see several sailors running down the hall. Shit. Just how are we going to explain _this_? Officially, the Law does not recognize Void Inc. as a criminal organization. So any testimony I have to give would be completely ignored. Thus, I did the logical thing. I picked up my partner, wanted or otherwise, and bolted.

"Time to go!" I said as I passed Sui… Pui… what's-his-face. What? This is _not _the time to be remembering names! Regardless of what his name is, he took the cue, and followed me as we ran outside and onto the deck. We stopped, briefly, by a map to locate the on-board Pokémon Center. Wasn't very hard to find, considering it was marked with the generic pokéball with a cross symbol. With that knowledge in hand, we went back into the ship, through a different entrance, of course. When we finally got there, we to the opportunity to catch our breaths. I turned to the guy for answers.

"You going to answer my questions, now, Mr. … uh, Guichi?" He face-vaulted, his Pidgey barely getting off of his shoulder in time. He got up quickly, his eye's closed with a sweat drop sliding down the side of his face. His smile was slightly more forced.

"It's Shuichi! Shu-i-chi!" he corrected me. He calmed himself down and straightened up. "Anyway, let's try that again. Name: Saotome Shuichi, age: 19. I am a Pokémon Historian, with some dabbling in Basic Research and Archeology, which is how I met Sora, here." He said as he motioned to the Pidgey on his shoulder, who took a bow at being introduced. "And your name, Young Miss?" He asked me with a bow of his own.

"Kaede. Minami Kaede, age 16. I'm a Rookie Trainer." He raised an eyebrow and I sighed. Here we go. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just… aren't you a little old to be a rookie?"

"Let's just say it's a long story, one of which I _might_ tell you after you tell me yours," I gestured to the Pidgey, Sora. "Care to explain?" He gave a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You _really_ should see a doctor about that memory of yours. I would think that such questions could wait till later."

I replayed the last few moments in my head, just to see what he was talking about. I could feel my eyes bug out as I whirled around to Treecko. I had set him down on a chair as I caught my breath. I gathered him up into my arms, dashing into the Pokécenter.

"Oh my Arceus, I'm so sorry. Oh Arceus, I'm so sorry!" I kept repeating this until Nurse Joy carted him off. In some corner of my mind, I made a note to find out why all Nurse Joy Looked exactly alike. The Officer Jenny's, too, for that matter. I turned, my face flushed with embarrassment, to see Shuichi waltz in behind me, chuckling lightly.

"Well, you're not the least bit dull, I'll give you that," he said. His face turned serious for a moment. "If the two of you are going to be partners, or you a trainer at all, you can't afford to be neglectful. You need to be able to work together and look after each other if you intend on accomplishing your goals." Great, a lecture. As if this wasn't embarrassing enough. "On that note," he added, "just what are your goals? You never said." I sighed. Of course he wasn't going to let that go.

"I'll tell you when Treecko's better. He knows more about this thing than I do." I only muttered that last part, but he seemed to heard it just fine.

"That makes sense," he said as he nodded his head. "In that case, we can wait on _my_ explanation, as well!" That smile of his was reaaally starting to annoy me. Makes me want to punch out those damn perfect teeth of his! So I replied:

"Sounds fair to me." You smug bastard. Just then, the Nurse Joy came back with a rather confused look on her face. That's rarely a good sign.

"Excuse me, miss? You are that young Treecko's Trainer, yes?" Of course. I nodded my head. "What happened to the poor thing to give it such injuries?" I blinked.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" Not that I don't already have a good idea, but smart as I am, I'm no doctor. The Nurse Joy went into a lengthy and detailed explanation of Treecko's injuries. The outer wounds were only from mana burn, the use of too much unneeded energy for one attack. An attack for which she really reamed me for using without proper training, and with an infant to boot. Just as...um, Shuichi had said, Treecko just couldn't handle an at tack of that caliber just yet. What really had her, and by that point me, worried were the apparent internal injuries. As a little known fact about Pokémon, their insides were _very_ well protected. It's one of the reasons why battles are still legal. Anything that can actually deal internal damage was serious business. They would only hold Treecko down for one day, but still...

By this point even the arrogant prick was looking worried. He sat in the corner muttering something, then I took notice of the rune atop of his Pidgey, Sora I believe, glowing a clear white light. They must have been using that voice thingy, I thought. At least they were being discrete about it. I walked over to him, intent on getting an answer.

"What are you two talking about?" I asked. He looked up, surprised I suppose.

"Just about how powerful your Pokémon is. I didn't expect it to be so powerful as to harm its own organs with that attack. Very impressive, and very strange. The worst we've had was some singed feathers. I know pure-bloods are powerful, but that's quite ridiculous. Just what is that Treecko?!" Okay, so he's smart enough to give me a decent conversation, but he's still an ass.

"That's part of the story you don't get to hear til later."

With those words, the room fell silent. I seated myself across from him and Nurse Joy left to, what I would guess, monitor Treecko. There was no sound, apart from the occasional beeping of a computer. Mr. Historian was listening to his Pidgey while I itched to get on the computer. I focused on the beeping, trying to keep my mind occupied. Before I knew it, my head was leaning to the side and my eyes closed. I should have known I'd have fallen asleep. At home, I would concentrate on the whirring of my computer to get to sleep.

The next thing I knew, someone was shaking my shoulder, calling my name. I forced my eyes open, not wanting to wake up. As soon as my vision cleared, I yelped in surprise. Shuichi was right in front of me, holding his mouth open and sticking his tongue out. He quickly side-stepped, giving me room to fall out of my seat. He burst out laughing along with a chirping noise from his companion.

I stood, glaring at the pair of them. "The hell'd you do that for! Grr, I'm going to get you for that!"

He smiled at me, still snickering. "Is that a threat or a promise?"

"Why you-" I was cut off by the sound off a door sliding open. Nurse Joy stepped past the threshold, calling out to me. I froze, arms held back as if about to grab something nonexistent.

"Miss, your Treecko is awake. It's quite remarkable, considering his injuries. Would you like to see him?"

I turned toward her, nodding. Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth. The laughing behind me got louder. I whirled back around. "What?" I demanded.

Shuichi reached into his bag, calmly pulling out a...mirror? He held it up so I could see my reflection. I gasped, yelling "You are _SUCH_ an _ASS_!" This only seemed to strengthen his laughter.

All over my face were multi-colored doodles. They looked like something the author's sister used to do in preschool: incoherent with a sense of order amidst the chaos. And it pissed me off. So I reached back once more, and this time I swung. Wham! I hit him with a hammer that I should not have been able to lift due to its sheer size. Underneath, I hear a muffled ad pained laughter. At least he felt that! The hammer dissipated as I released it. Suddenly I became truly aware of what I just did. How did I do that?

~That would be the power I spoke of, my Mistress.~

I whirled around to see Treecko standing right behind me. He grabbed onto the side of a chair for support.

"Treecko! How are you doing?"

~Better, but not by much. However, with your permission Mistress, I may heal at a much faster rate.~ He seemed to hesitate with his last words, as if he were unsure if he should have asked.

"Um, sure, I guess. If it'll help you, go for it."

~Very well. Thank you, my Mistress. Now, hold out your hand.~

Confused, I offered him my hand. His runes glowed faintly as he pulled off my glove. The moment our hands touched, I sucked in a sharp breath. My heart pounded against my chest, feeling slower and slower as energy left my body. My hand seemed to burn where skin and scale touched.

As soon as it began, the energy flow was cut off and I sank back into the seat. Even in my stunned state, I was aware enough to take note of Shuichi, who looked worse for wear but otherwise fine, with an interested look upon his face. As the effects finally left me, I saw Treecko, fully recoved, looking worried.

"I'm okay, just tell me what that was," I said with a lack of breath. Weakly, I pulled my glove back on. I slid my glasses off and used a sleeve to attempt to wipe away the drawings on my face.

~The Servitude Salve. In return for serving you, and at the price of your own energy, I get instant restoration. So long as I am conscious, that is.~ he "voiced." Huh. That's actually kinda cool.

"Alright," spoke Shuichi, "Story time kiddies! I can't wait to hear this!" Damn.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

The four of us, Shuichi, Sora, Treecko, and myself, had gathered in Shuichi and Sora's room. We sat around, myself on a chair, Treecko on a desk, Sora on Shuichi's shoulder, and he on his bed. It was time to get started.

"This would be easier if you two took on that other look, okay?" I suggested. On the way over, I learned that unless one was bonded to the Mu Pokemon, they couldn't hear their "voice." This left their human forms.

Treecko just nodded and began to glow. Watching him shift will, likely, always be both beautiful and disturbing. On one hand there was the beautiful, captivating light, and that cool whirlwind of leaves that came out of nowhere. On the other, there was the shifting of body parts. Like the retracting tail. That was disturbing. And then it ended. As the light died down, in the place of Treecko, once more stood the young warrior child. Shuichi whistled appreciatively.

"That's mighty impressive. So that's what a pure-blood looks like." The last part he muttered, but we heard it all the same. "Well, your turn, Sora." The Pidgey flew to the floor and the rune began to glow, just as with Treecko. Unlike with Treecko, the wind was much stronger, and lacked the calming feeling, as it created a mini tornado. As it dissipated, the first thing I noticed were the talon-like fingers and the ring of feathers around the wrists. Next, I saw bird feet attached to human legs. Gorgeous legs that were, frankly, better than mine. Not that I'm vain or anything, but it kind of pissed me off, a little, is all. Anyway, her eyes, like Treecko, were the same as the Shifter's other form. Her upper chest was covered in feathers like a tube-top, that ended at the wings on her back. Her hair was short, probably only an inch long, save for the three clumps of hair that seemed to defy gravity and looked like her crest. She bore no beak, but did sport some feathers on her cheeks. But like Treecko, she couldn't have been more than eight. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Hi!" she said in a high-pitched, overly chipper voice. Didn't see that one coming. I stared blankly as she waved her…hand?…Claw? Which, apparently, was as dexterous as a human hand.

"Um, why does she look like a harpy?" I asked. She gave me a look that clearly said she was insulted. Shuichi sighed.

"How rude! You should never judge one based on appearances alone!" she cried, striking a pose. "Besides, I look more like an angel," she added, a light shining from behind her. I moved to see the source, only to find Shuichi with a searchlight. A sweat drop ran down the side of my head.

"Why do you have that?" I asked. Seriously. He shrugged.

"Dramatic effect." was all he said. Shaking my head, I turned back to Sora.

"So, what, I should assume you work in a pet store or something?" Why does that sound familiar? Meh, oh well.

"Better that then a harpy!" she said, turning her head in a huff. Treecko took a bow in her direction, taking her hand.

"A pleasure, maiden Sora. I am known as the Child of the Trees, in the service of my Mistress." Shuichi got real wide-eyed at that. Then he got oddly serious.

"Explain." he said simply, but his tone made me truly believe, for the first time, that he was a man of authority.

"Well, it all started a few days ago when my dad decided I needed some fresh air and a break from technology." I was only in my room for a week. Not even my personal best. "He dragged me into the woods of Fuchsia for some camping." After making sure no sort of technological device was on my person. The next time he tries to strip-search me, the mallet's coming out. "The first night there, I went for a, uh…'midnight stroll' and encountered some Void, Inc employees. They seemed to be transporting a chest somewhere, which they dropped when I got caught." Granted, I was surprised too. If I were in their place, I probably would have done the same. "I don't remember the exact details, but I had somehow maneuvered myself over to where the chest was. Sora, quit snickering. I was tired, scared, and needed to piss. Cut me some slack." Ass. "Anyway, they caught me, and were about to do away with me, when Treecko's egg fell into my lap." Really, that was some seriously shabby wood. "Then I heard his voice. He asked me if I wanted to be protected, if I wanted to survive." Obviously, I said yes. "He then told me to command him. Called me 'She who shares her soul,' his Mistress." A title that I'm getting strangely attached to. "So, I called out for help and he hatched." Sora nodded at this.

"I thought he smelled like a hatchling," she muttered. Her nose must be pretty good. I wonder what a hatchling smells like. I leaned over to sniff him. Nope, nothing. Oh well, now where was I? Oh, yes.

"After he hatched, he immediately shifted to the form you see now. And that was when I passed out." Shuichi nodded and turned to Treecko.

"Care to enlighten us of the events that happened after that point?" he asked, still in serious, or Professor, mode, his way of showing that he was calculating and recording everything.

"Of course." Treecko replied. "I simply beat the ever-living shit out of them all. That, and I severed the arms of their leader." His eyes got dark. "He shouldn't have touched my Mistress," he said in a very foreboding voice.

"The next evening," I picked up, "he took the time to explain his story. A tale about-"

"The Legion of Legend. I know the tale, as does Sora. Though I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, I have been able to learn most of it," he interrupted. "I'm a historian, after all," he said with a shrug.

"Then you are aware of the prophecy?" Treecko asked, an eyebrow raised and arms crossed. Shuichi shook his head.

"Certainly, I know of the prophecy, in that one exists. The actual contents of it, though, are some of the things I happen to be a little fuzzy about." Treecko nodded and began to recite the prophecy.

_When the child of the trees is freed from its prison and meets the Mistress of Souls,_

_When the fang of the river and the breath of fire come under her gaze,_

_Thus shall unlock the Key of Stones_

_And the great power shall arise once more._

_But know this: when the forgeries arise to take their place,_

_The balance shall be offset, and the world will come to its greatest peril._

"That is the prophecy bestowed onto me by Lord Lugia, Prophet and Betrayer of the Legion of Legend." Shuichi sat there for several moments, probably mulling over what had just been heard. When he finally looked up, I saw a hunger in his eyes, a familiar one. This was a hunger for knowledge. I have been known to have it myself from time to time.

"Tell me, is this prophecy the reason for your travels?" I shook my head. Well, I suppose it was, in part. But not really. Treecko decided to answer.

"We are traveling because my Mistress is being cantankerous when dealing with these facts and requires proof. To obtain said proof requires these "badges" she spoke of, as they reside at this plateau." His hunger seemed to grow.

"What kind of proof lies with the league?" Shuichi inquired, clearly getting eager.

"Her weapons, twin fans, that hold the key to her memories as the Mistress of Souls." Shuichi looked downright giddy at the thought of such artifacts.

"So," I stared, "What's your story?"

"Me? Well, I'm a genius. Graduated college at age 12, studied under all the famous Professors from Oak to Ivy, and finally settled on the history of human/Pokemon relations. Found Sora's egg about a year ago, took a month to hatch her. Learned what I could since. They call me the Pseudo Professor, Professor Rice, as a joke. I hope you don't mind, but you've intrigued me. I think I'll accompany you on this journey. Besides," he smiled, "If you're going to be picking a fight with Void, Inc, I want in! You need someone to watch your back, help you out. Furthermore, they aren't Team Rocket. They won't stop at Pokemon battles like today." His grin grew wider, even though it didn't look like that was possible. "You'll be learning martial art from us!" I didn't just hear that.

"Huh?" Oh, that was intelligent. "I'm sorry, I must have heard you wrong. I thought you said you'd be teaching me martial arts, of all things." That couldn't be right. I'm a computer geek! I don't _do _martial arts. Shuichi shrugged.

"Meh, it runs in the family. If you want to survive, you need to learn some self-defense from us experts. The Child of the Trees can only protect you so much within today's laws, so you need to be able to defend yourself. And if what he says is true, it will help to have your body in shape for when you get those fans."

"He's right," Treecko added. Traitor. "I can teach you, or rather, reteach you the techniques you taught me. There is a new war coming, and I would very much prefer you alive."

Sora jumped back into the conversation. "In battle, one must know how to defend oneself. We won't always be around to protect you." The other two nodded their agreement.

Okay, its official. I'm surrounded by nutcases. "I've had enough craziness for one day. I'm getting some fresh air," I said as I walked out of the room-

-and into Dad. I shot a glance back into the room. Sora and Treecko had already changed back into their Pokemon forms. I turned back to Dad, who looked like he had something to say. I pointed a finger, not the rude one, at him and cut him off before he could speak.

"You!" I said accusingly. "This is all your fault!" He just looked at me quizzically, wondering what the hell was his fault. Shuichi came up behind me, patting my head.

"Now, now. It's not polite to point, Kaede." Ass. I got ready to yell at him, but before I could even open my mouth, Dad finally spoke up.

"Kaede, I don't known what's going on, but somehow our room exploded. Something about faulty wiring, I think." I snorted. Faulty wiring, yeah right. "The captain assigned us a new room. I was going to get our stuff that survived into the new room and then look for you, but here you are."

"Professor Rice" butted in again. "Oh, which room? I might be able to help."

"Hm? Oh, thank you. Its room A-113." Shuichi's features quickly revealed his surprise. He soon burst out laughing as Sora and Treecko came out of his room.''

I glared at him. "What's so funny?" I demanded. Instead of an answer, he jerked a thumb in the direction of the next room down. I could feel my face go pale.

Everyone, with the exception of Shuichi who was dying of laughter at this point, looked over to the door. Sure enough, the plate on the door read "A-113."

I grabbed the sides of my head, yelling "Why is everyone against me?!"

"Kaede, what's wrong?" Dad asked.

Shuichi composed himself and answered for me. "It's nothing. She's had a long day, is all. Why don't I introduce myself: I am Saotome Shuichi, also known as Professor Rice. Am I right to assume you are Kaede's father?"

Dad blinked, obviously not expecting a Pokemon Professor. Me either. "Yes, I am," he answered. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"No, there isn-" I began to say. Shuichi clapped a hand over my mouth and continued as if I hadn't said anything.

"You see, Kaede caught me practicing my martial arts earlier, and requested I teach her some forms. With your permission, I would like to accompany her during her travels," he said, smile never leaving his face.

Dad's face brightened considerably. "I don't have a problem with it. Anything you do is fine with me! I give my full support!" He leaned in close to me, whispering "Kaede, this is your chance. You may never find a guy like this again. All you need to do is get some rope, maybe a pair of handcuffs,-" Wham!

I breathed heavily, blushing, as I malleted my father.

"I cannot BELIEVE you just said that!" I practically screeched. Actually, from the way Sora and Treecko winced, maybe I did. Shuichi was edging away, fear shining clearly in his eyes. He cringed at my glare. Hmph, some martial artist.

"I'm going to the pool, ANYONE GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?!?!" All four of them shook their heads, gulping. Unknown to me, an important conversation went on behind me.

(Your Mistress is scary!) Sora spoke in Pokemon tongue.

(This is nothing. You should see her when she has access to more than just that mallet!) Treecko shuddered, vague memories of old flashing through his mind.

(Say, why does she just call you "Treecko" and not your name?) Sora asked. She tilted her head in confusion.

(Because we do not know my name. It is long since lost.)

(That won't do! You NEED a name!) she squawked frantically.

(And what do you propose, Miss Sora?) he replied calmly.

(Kenichi! You look like a Kenichi, so you are Kenichi!) Sora chirped back happily, evidently feeling very pleased with herself.

The name struck something within Treecko. Something old. A memory? An old friend? Who knows. But it did have a certain ring to it.

(I will have to run it by my Mistress, but I like it.) For better or worse, but I do believe it will fly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

How did this happen?!? Such were my thoughts as I lay there on the ground, battered and bruised. My body ached, but no bones were broken, and I had very few cuts, even a black eye, but the pain was more than there should have been. My injuries minor, my pain great, and Kenichi was bound and beaten in some strange sort of seal. As I look up, I see the agent of Void, Inc. His face, funny enough, was void of emotion. So again, I wonder, how did this happen?!? Let us turn back the clock to how this began.

*Flashback: 2 Days Ago*

"Do I really have to do this?" This must be the fifth time I've asked that question, but it doesn't hurt to try.

There I stood, wearing some sleep pants and a tee, standing across the deck from Shuichi, who wore some loose Chinese pants and a training gi top. Even as I said it, we were both warming up, so that kind of answered my question. Treecko was watching from the railing of the ship. I guess a Pokemon meant for climbing isn't concerned with falling off the ship. Flying types either, considering Sora was sitting on the bow.

"Of course we do. I happen to have a bit of in tell on some of the higher ups of Void Inc. and some of them are real powerhouses," he said smiling. Did this guy ever have a bad mood?

"Okay, so I can't get out of this. Then just what will I be learning, 'sensei?'" the term 'sensei' I said with all the sarcasm I could muster. He laughed heartily.

"Learning? That comes later. For now, we got to get you in shape! We'll start with a jog around the ship!" He then proceeded to hop onto the rail of the ship and jog in place. "Coming?" he asked. All I could do was stare in shock.

"You don't seriously expect me to do that, right? Rather, its impossible as I am!" I yelled.

~Mistress, if I may…~ Treecko 'voiced' from behind me. I turned around expectantly. ~You should be able to do at least that much. If not, Miss Sora and I shall catch you.~ Sora chirped in agreement. Well, if he's sure…

"Alright, but if I die, I am so haunting your ass!" Treecko looked a little disturbed by the idea, but nodded nonetheless. With a gulp, I hopped up onto the rail. I expected to immediately lose my balance, but it never came. I looked around to Shuichi waiting patiently to my right, and Treecko and Sora to my left. I gave an experimental hop. Nothing! This was kind of cool. Shuichi was nodding to himself.

"See? You're fine. Now let's get started on those laps." Hang on.

"Laps? " I almost wish I hadn't asked.

"Yeah, laps. We'll keep going until your legs burn, then go one more. That should be a good start." My eyes bugged out . Won't I fall off at that rate?! I could see Treecko get into a jogging position. At least he was coming with . We started the jog and the first couple of minutes weren't so bad, but the next half hour was torture. And those two weren't even winded! The nerve! How dare they not be miserable!

Then we were swinging our arms around like idiots. Shuichi tried to say something about faster strikes, but that was total bull. (See History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi for details)

I collapsed to the hard wood floor, sweat pouring down my face. The arm exercise wasn't so bad, but do it for two hours and your muscles will strain. I could hear the whispers of the other passengers. A shadow was cast over my body and I forced my eyes open. Shuichi was standing over me, a large tire in hand with a rope attached.

"Done already?" he taunted.

"Bite me," I said, eliciting a laugh from the slave-driver.

"Cool your jets. One more, and we're done for the day," he said, hefting the tire. I felt a tug at my waist and looked down.

The rope tied to the tire had somehow been wrapped around my waist. How did he do that? I stood, groaning as my muscles protested. Shuichi threw the tire down to the floor and calmly sat on it.

"I think you're smart enough to figure out what comes next," he said smiling.

"Oh, come on!" I argued. "I already ran earlier!"

"This is different. That was warm-up and balance. This is for strength and speed."

"And what makes you think I'll pull you around?"

"You'll see. Sora?" he called out. Sora, in Pidgey form, hopped into view, something in her beak. As she made her way over, I was able to identify the object in her possession.

"Is that the new PoryCom 42?" I asked starry-eyed. It hasn't even been out for a full day! How the hell did he get one in the middle of the ocean?!

"Yes, yes it is. Do you want it?" he asked teasingly. Unable to form words, I nodded. "Well, you have to move to get it. If you don't start running in the next thirty seconds, Sora here will drop it off the ship.

I gaped at him, stunned that he would do that. My gaze wavered between Shuichi and Sora, not willing to decide. At the last second, I groaned and took off after Sora, her master's laughter sounding from behind.

"Over my dead body!" I dash after Sora, the extra weight of Shuichi not slowing down as much as I would have thought. Then something occurred to me. Why was I running when I could have Treecko get it? I stopped running, feeling like an idiot. "Treecko!" I called out. I snapped my fingers.

They didn't stand a chance. In that instant, he vanished, cut my rope, nabbed the laptop, and reappeared before me, computer intact. Sora was squawking something at Treecko, probably about that maneuver not being fair. I heard clapping, and turned to see Shuichi shaking his head as he clapped.

"Very good, you can use your head when baited. Let's move onto the most important lesson: battling." He placed his hand behind himself and withdrew a Pokeball. "You need to learn what attacks Treecko can safely use Also, as a pureblood Pokemon of Mu, he can fight in a rather unorthodox manner."

He tossed the Pokeball into the air. "Come out!" A flash of light, that revealed, "Ryhorn!"

"Treecko!" I called. He got into a battle-ready position.

"Okay," Shuichi began, "Lesson two: basic attacks. Your Treecko is level 5 by now, due to that confrontation with Void Inc., and should only know Pound and Leer. However, his effective level is much higher. Let's find out what he knows! Do you know all Treecko's moves?" I nodded. Of course I knew. Treecko is a famous starter Pokemon bestowed upon rookie Trainers. I've looked them all up. "Then let's start! Ryhorn, Take Down!" he called.

Ryhorn began charging without a care, as fast as it could. Treecko merely side-stepped the attack.

~Your command, Mistress?~ he asked me. I got just the thing.

"Mega Drain!" was my order. A green aura surrounded him. Green balls of Ryhorn's health left its body and entered Treecko. The loss of health caused Ryhorn to stumble. Shuichi nodded.

"Very good. It would seem he knows well beyond his level. Lesson cleared. Now for lesson three: unorthodox maneuvers. Most Pokemon have something about them you don't expect. What does Treecko have?" His smile grew. "Ice Fang!"

Ryhorn's teeth grew with a blue energy that gave off a light mist. It charged, trying to ensnare Treecko between its teeth. He, of course, kept evading, but only barely.

~Mistress, if I may…~

"Whatever you're going to do, do it!" I yelled.

Treecko made a fist that glowed of a light green energy. He then proceeded to give Ryhorn an uppercut. That was, judging by the staggering of Ryhorn, Dynamic Punch! He jumped backwards and flipped onto his…hands? Anyway, he pushed off and gave Ryhorn two devastating kicks. Double Kick!

And this was all that was needed. After the second kick, Ryhorn couldn't take any more. It took a tumble and promptly fainted. Shuichi recalled Ryhorn and clapped once more.

"Lesson clear! Thank you for your cooperation. As a prize, you get to keep the laptop. It is the least I could do for all the data I collected!" That smile is really bugging me. And how could he have gained data from _that_?

*Time skip: My room*

Sigh. That felt so good! There is nothing more refreshing than a piping hot bath. It was then that Treecko came to me.

~Mistress, there is a matter I would wish to discuss with you.~ he voiced nervously. He seemed uncertain about whatever it was, to say the least.

"Yeah, sure. What can I do you for?" I just got a brand new laptop from Silph Co. I'm in a good mood.

~Yes, well,~ he shifted uncomfortably. ~It is about Miss Sora.~ Sora? What about her?

"Go on…" I egged, making a continuing motion.

~Well, it would seem that she is somewhat hell-bent upon my having a real name. The Child of the Trees is too long and just Treecko seems like an insult to her.~

I raised an eyebrow at that. When was this conversation held? Perhaps that was what she was squawking about earlier? Still, I don't see a problem with it.

"I don't see why not. She got a name in mind?" I asked him. He nodded.

~She does. She seems to have it in her head that I look like a Kenichi. I look like a Treecko.~ I had to laugh at that, before the name he said registered in my head. Suddenly, I was filled with the image of a beautiful, older woman with the bluest eyes I had ever seen. Her hair was a bluish silver, and she wore an absolutely gorgeous battle dress. At her thighs were holsters for what appeared to be decorated fans. She was surrounded by four younger people, three men and a younger woman. Their faces were hidden in shadows, though the one in green armor was slightly more visible.

They sat around a campfire, talking. They appeared to be having a good time, despite the fact that I couldn't make out the words. Then the woman with blue eyes spoke, in the loveliest voice. She addressed the one in green, and I made out one word.

"... Kenichi…"

I gasped as the vision ended. I was caught by Tre-no, by Kenichi as I fell forward. Eh? What in the nine was that? Wait, before that, why does calling him Kenichi seem so natural now?!?

~Mistress, are you alright?~ Kenichi asked worriedly.

"Um, yeah, I-I'm fine," I stammered. "Just a slight out-of-body experience." Slightly concerned still, he led me to my bed, making sure I laid down. Exhaustion crept up on me, the day's activities catching up with me, as I made contact with the bed.

"Hey, Kenichi.' He paused in pulling the covers over me. "Thanks for your help today. You did good," I murmured. Darkness swept over my vision, drawing me from consciousness. I was vaguely aware of the door opening right before I slipped into a dreamless sleep.

I woke suddenly, feeling a presence right next to me. If its Shuichi again, he's getting a mallet to the face! I peeked past my eyelids, relieved it was only Kenichi. My thoughts drifted back to last night, to the vision. To the fact that I failed to notice Kenichi had taken on his human appearance so quickly without my noticing. That is just like him, the Wind in…the…Trees…Why do I know that name? I thought he was the Child of the Trees. No, they're both right. But why do I know? The vision? Maybe his name was one of the keys to the memory they claimed was sealed away. Damn. How am I supposed to deny that?!

~You are awake, Mistress. Is something troubling you?~ I shook my head and opened my eyes fully.

"I am fine Kenichi. I would be more concerned about why you are still the Child." His eyes grew wide. "I don't know what it means, but it sounds troublesome."

~I assume that this has something to do with what you called an "out-of-body experience?"~ I nodded. ~Then perhaps we should try to stimulate more of them.~ Maybe so Now that I have seen what I saw, I'm kind of interested.

I climbed out of bed and began to stretch, noticing my dad wasn't in the room. A knock came from the door. "Come in," I called out.

Dad peeked past the open door, saying "Good, you're up. Come don to the mess hall once you're dressed."

"Sure," I answered. I walked over to my pac to pull out my clothes. Dad began to close the door, stopping to say one last thing.

"You might want to make sure all your belongings are together. The boat will dock in about three hours."

"Gotcha." I turned around, clothes in hand, to see Kenichi heading for the door.

~I shall wait outside, Mistress.~

"Yeah, you do that." The door shut and I pulled off my shirt. *The following scene has been removed due to excessive nudity. Please excuse this inconvenience*…and I headed out the door. Funny, I don't think I own any other type of clothes. Oh well. I made my way down the corridor, Kenichi in tow. We could smell the food as we got closer. We finally made it to a double-door with a sign that read "mess hall."

I pushed open the doors and stepped past the threshold, Kenichi right behind me. Our arrival went fairly unnoticed, as the room was rather empty. I spotted Dad and, to my slight chagrin, Shuichi sitting together. Sora, perched on Shuichi's shoulder, flicked her head over in my direction and chirped. Dad turned around and waved me over. I weaved between the tables, careful not to disturb anyone. I pulled the chair away from the table and sat down, a plate of food already in front of me. As I began to dig in, Shuichi opened up his pack and reached in. Curious, I halted my consumption to look in the bag. Surprisingly, it seemed empty, but when he pulled his arm out, he held several berries and handed them to Sora and Kenichi. I've got to remember to test that later.

I shrugged and continued to scarf down the rest of my food. Dad got up to get rid of his dishes and Shuichi spoke up.

"You're going to need that energy. I plan on training you until the boat docks, and I would like to get to Viridian before sundown."

I set down my chopsticks just as Dad returned, a cup of coffee and book in hand. He glanced between the two of us, unsure of what he missed. I pushed up off the table and stood, maneuvering so that I had one foot on my chair. Shuichi tensed, a growing smirk on his face, while Dad sat back down and calmly opened his book.

"You want to train, eh?" I said. I brought my hands together, prompting Kenichi and Sora to go wide-eyes and move away. "What better time than the present?!" My beloved hammer materialized in my grasp. I pushed off of the chair and vaulted over the table, aiming for the smartass. Unfortunately, this time he was kind of expecting it. He poked the center of the mallet with just two finger to stop it.

"Ah, ah, ah. I didn't say "start" yet." he said with that annoying smile on his face again. And just how did he do that? "Without any righteous fury, anyone skilled enough could stop it," he answered the unasked question. "Let's take this outside!"

That was the last thing he said before he slipped out the window. I kept after him, nimbly making it through the hole.

"Kenichi!" I called. Like I can take this guy on my own.

The next couple of hours were rather interesting. I spent the first part of it playing Whack-A-Diglet with Shuichi, trying to hit him. And he was holding back. Then we were back to the tire thing. He used a whip this time to make me run. The damn sadist. Not that my dad was much help. He was pissed that we scared the other passengers. Mom is so going to hear about this.

When we finally made it to port, I had just finished my shower. At last we were in Pallet Town. Time to go see world renowned Pokemon Professor Oak.

We headed down the gangplank at the tail-end of the crowed. I peered past the crowd, trying to get a good look at the town. Puzzled, I glance back and forth between the crowd and the town. At least 50 people coming off the boat, and only three houses. I know one of them was the Professor's, so where were all the people going?

The five of us touched down, the crowd around us somehow dissipating.

"Alright," my dad began. "I have a half hour before the ship leaves. What are you going to do first?"

"This," I answered. I slung my pack off my shoulders, landing with a thud. I unzipped the top and pulled out a fanny pack that looked like a square piece of cloth with a strap. It was colored a rich, sapphire blue with white trimmings. Everyone stared in confusion as I unzipped the pack. "I've always wanted to try this," I explained. "Just watch this." I then proceeded to take out each of my items, one by one, and place it in the fanny pack. As each object entered the new pack, it seemed to disappear, but I could still feel it in my hand. Eventually, all that was left were the two bags, and my dad staring bug-eyed at them.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"Truthfully," I said, "I have no idea. I saw it in the gift shop on board. The sign said it was specially made for Trainers, so I thought "Why the hell not?" Think you can take back the empty one?"

Dad nodded as I folded up the first bag. I slipped it into his pack and tied my new one around my waist, the edge of my jacket fluttering over it.

"Come on, let's go see Professor Oak," I said. Shuichi shrugged and followed me, leaving Dad to close his gaping mouth. It wasn't too hard to find the lab, it being the largest building out of the three. I approached the front door and rang the doorbell. Not too long later, an aged man with graying hair and a white lab coat answered the door. Behind him stood a boy much closer to my age, with green tinged hair over an orange bandana. He also wore a lab coat, concealing what he wore underneath.

"Yes, may I help you?" the old man asked.

"Are you Professor Oak?" I questioned. At his nod, I continued. "My name is Minami Kaede. I'm a rookie Trainer and was hoping I could get a Pokedex."

The guy behind Oak got a really panicked expression on his face and started waving his hands out in front of him. Meanwhile, the Professor's eyes seemed to glaze over. Just as I was about to ask what was wrong, he began to speak.

"Hello, there! Glad to meet you! Welcome to the world of Pokemon!" Um, okay. "My name is Oak." Yes, you confirmed this already. Get to the point. "People affectionately call me the Pokemon Professor." Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are several Pokemon Professors. Hell, there's one standing right next to me. "This world…is inhabited far and wide by creatures called Pokemon." State the obvious much? "For some, Pokemon are pets. Other use them for battling. As for myself…I study Pokemon as a profession." No duh. "But first, tell me about yourself."

I blinked, slightly confused. "Uh, sure. Well-"

He cut me off, eyes still glazed over. "Now tell me. Are you a boy? Or are you a girl?"

My mouth fell open, the boy behind Oak slapped his forehead, and the assholes to my left and right burst out laughing. "You-you really have to ask that?!" I sputtered.

Oak picked right back up in his "speech." "Let's begin with your name. What is it?"

"I already told you! It's Kaede!" I yelled.

" Right…"he said calmly. "So your name is Kaede." Oak paused and stepped past the door. Mr. Green Hair reached out to grab his shoulder, his fingers barely brushing Oak's sleeve. Oak walked up to Shuichi and clapped a hand on his shoulder, startling Sora. "His is my grandson. He's been your rival since you were both babies…Er, what was his name now?"

"His name is Shuichi, and I only met him three days ago," I growled past my gritted teeth. Is this guy senile?!

"That's right! I remember now! His name is Shuichi!" His "grandson" just looked at him, puzzled, while Dad was trying not to die of laughter. "Your very own Pokemon legend is about to unfold! A world of dreams and adventures with Pokemon awaits! Let's go!" Oak finished, pumping a fist into the air.

"Hell no!" I screamed, pulling out my hammer. "There is absolutely NO WAY this crazy old coot is coming with us!" I raised my mallet, ready to knock him out. Kenichi appeared behind me, tugging at the back of my jacket to keep from striking. The hammer fell from my grasp and I reached out to grab at Oak. Green Hair rushed over and started yelling at me.

"Please excuse him! This always happens whenever a new Trainer comes by!" With those word, he pushed a Pokedex into my hands and reeled the Professor back into the lab, slamming the door behind him.

My mouth hung open out of shock and confusion, my ears picked up the sound of Dad gasping for breath. I slowly turned to him, tears running down his face.

"I-I'm sorry, Ka-Kaede. I'll-I'll see you b-back at the ship," he stuttered, trying to hold back his laughter. He wiped away the salty water on his face and he turned to leave, his laughter coming back just as strong. Shuichi, of course, was still laughing, though he was getting it back under control.

"You knew that was going to happen, didn't you?" I accused with a low growl.

"Yeah-ha-ha. I sp-spent two mo-months with the guy-hi-hi, he-he-he. Its happened." Sora was brushing the side of his head with a wing, probably reminding him to breath, judging by her rune. Just then, the Professor came back out, looking rather embarrassed. He bowed apologetically.

"I am truly sorry about that, please excuse my behavior. It's been happening ever since I gave a young man his Pikachu," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. It was at that moment that he noticed Shuichi, still snickering somewhat. He sighed.

"Hello, Shuichi. How have your studies been? I haven't gotten a report as of late," he added. Shuichi waved.

"Howdy, Professor! Research is going just fine. Even got a new pet project. Look down." Oak did, to see Kenichi looking at him funny. "What we have here is a pureblood! Belongs to the rookie here," he added, jerking a thumb at me. The Professor got rather excited.

"Fascinating! A full-blooded Pokemon of Mu!" he crouched down, pulling a camera out of a coat pocket. "Pardon me, my friend, but could you demonstrate your ability for me?" he asked. Kenichi looked up at me, questioning.

~Mistress? Shall I fulfill this request?~ I see, so he needs permission. I nodded my consent.

I will never, likely, tire of watching Kenichi transform. As usual, leaves that seemed to come from nowhere blew around him, blurring his image. Then came the light that swirled around him with the wind. As it dispersed, suddenly, there stood the childlike form of Kenichi. Professor Oak stood, mesmerized by the sight, as he recorded it. He turned and called for the green-haired boy with the headband.

"Tracey! Come here, please!" The guy came rushing out, a Maril in his arms.

"Yes, Professor?" he asked, a bit eagerly in my opinion. The professor of Pokemon handed him the camera.

"Analyze this footage, please." He turned back to Kenichi as this "Tracey" left. "Thank you very much! This will aid us greatly. Now, I would like the opportunity to learn more. Would you be willing to stay the night? We have some available rooms." He looked so hopeful. And really, what's one more day gonna hurt? Me and my big mouth.

Afterwards, we saw my dad off. Of course, I had to hit him one more time for that remark about flavored condoms. The nerve of that man! We spent the night at the Oak laboratory, the professor running several tests on Kenichi. The next morning we thanked him for his hospitality and left town. It was then that it happened.

We were about halfway between Pallet and Viridian at the time. We were resting for a bit. I was munching on an energy bar, Kenichi was observing the surroundings, and Shuichi and Sora were having a private conversation in thought-speak. The silence of nature was broken when Shuichi addressed me.

"There's something I left near here years ago. Me and Sora are going to go find it. Will you be fine without us?" he asked.

I nodded and he made his way for the trees. I could see his lips moving, barely able to make out his words. "We'll see," he muttered.

I opened my mouth to question what he meant by that, but the forest engulfed the forms of Sora and Shuichi. I sighed silently and reached for my pack. Might as well make use of my laptop. I stuck a hand in the pack, feeling for the cold metal of the computer, when an alarm seemed to go off in my head.

Both I and Kenichi jumped back from our previous positions as an object struck the earth, kicking up a large cloud of dust. It was a large stone with a strange crack in it. Purple winds began to surround it as it took on a dark glow. I know that pattern! A Void Shifter! I turned to Kenichi to see a very bad expression on his face. He was already in his human form, which made the situation seem worse, for upon his face was a very distinctive look. And it said "shit."

As the winds died down, they revealed a young man in his early twenties with a wild,…purple, …afro? Anyway, he wore Void Inc.'s business uniform and a pendent that appeared to be a smaller version of the stone. He looked so ridiculous. I never saw him move.

In an instant, Kenichi slammed into me in an attempt to block the powerful punch. That didn't work out so well. I tried to kick the newcomer, but my leg was caught, and I was thrown through the air. As I slammed into a tree, I took note of Kenichi grabbing a leaf and turning it into an energy sword. Must be Leaf Blade, I thought numbly.

The stranger then did something weird. He bit his thumb and flicked the blood onto Kenichi. Then he spoke for the first time. It was one word, but it sounded like it was spoken by over a hundred different people, male and female, at once.

"Seal!" Kenichi got real panicked when he heard that.

Suddenly, a weird glyph appeared under Kenichi and a circle formed around him. Chains of light seemed to jut from the ground and bound him.

And now, here we are: beaten, battered, and bruised. And where the hell is Shu-

Before I could finish that thought, Shuichi came flying by and into the other guy's face, foot first. The shock of getting kicked in the face aside, the attacker looked confused. Like the kick shouldn't' have connected…

"Two months!" Shuichi proclaimed to the guy, real cocky like, too. "Tell your boss that I said two months, and then we'll gladly take you on!" The guy looked like he was going to refuse, when suddenly this sense of dread passed over me. A pressure that nearly robbed me of my bowel control. And either I had a concussion, or the atmosphere was getting fuzzy. Whatever was happening, the assailant agreed and fled from us, or more to the point, Shuichi. As soon as he left, the binding on Kenichi shattered. As Shuichi stood over me, he shook his head.

"You'll be fine without me, huh?"

* * *

This one took a while, but it was worth it. Now I know it looks like we're getting a little off track, and we are, but I have a semblence of a plan. Mind you all, for the most part my sister and I are writing this by ear while we work on her story at the same time. Cue the blatant advertising of the story "Anything Goes Dragon Slave". It may take a while before the next chapter so please bare with me on this and have some patience. It will come. Don't know when, but it will come.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

"What in the Nine Hells was _that_?!" My scream was loud enough to scare off the nearby Pidgey. Shuichi gave me this blank look as he and Sora were tending to Kenichi's wounds, as well as my own. Surprisingly, we were mostly unharmed. Don't get me wrong, I hurt like a bitch on steroids, but there was little actual damage. Just some scrapes and bruises.

"Care to say that again? I don't think they quite heard you all the way in Sinnoh." was his deadpanned retort. And just where does he get off, all smart mouthed like that? This guy has got some nerve! Son I told him _exactly_ what I meant.

"You know _damn_ well what I am talking about! Not only do you scare a guy we could not put a dent in, but apparently, you have some influence with his boss! What the _fuck_ gives?!?" I screamed in his face. Don't look at me like that. I was wounded both physically(the bruises) and emotionally(my pride). I have a right to be grouchy. He sighed, pulling out some disinfectant for a scrape.

"Where to begin? Ah, I know. I am a genius, both mentally and physically. I believe I have mentioned having studied under the great professors of the world. And I have gained the awe and respect of many because of these facts. One such person, in particular, was a Mister Seiichirou Tyrant, the leader of Void Inc." I gave him a funny look at the mention of the name. I mean, that was the guys real name? Seriously? He looked at me with a stern expression. "Don't make that face. Yes, that is his name. The man is of foreign decent. I don't know from where, so don't ask." he paused to finish with the bandages.

"One day, this man approached me. Offered me a position in his organization. Obviously I turned him down, so don't worry about that. He wasn't the first to try and scout me, nor was he the last. I have received offers from many an organization, legal or otherwise. Anyway, he offered all the funding and research material regarding the Lost Continent, Mu, that I would ever need. At the time, and even now, I doubt even they knew all there is to know about Mu. So of course they came for me. I _am_ the authority on it, after all. Regardless, in return, I was to swear fealty to him." He sighed in reminiscence. There was a flash of blue that reflected off my glasses.

*Flash back: 6 years ago*

I found myself in this doujo, all of the sudden. Before me, performing some sort of Kata, was a young boy. He was a little taller than Kenichi, so he couldn't have been that old. He wore a blue training gi, and a black belt. His hair was a blue of a familiar shade. It was braided and went as far as the base of his neck. On his head were some disturbingly familiar goggles that were clearly to big for him. Oh, shit! Shuichi?! This was Shuichi, only, younger! What the hell?

Then came footsteps from behind me. I spun on my heels to face the intruder. Oh, that's a laugh. Aren't I an intruder? I mean where am I? _When_ am I? Anyway, the man was fairly tall. He had a build that showed he was _clearly_ in shape. His shoulders were broad and his arms thick. His hair was blond and a large nose. He wore a white business suit. Was this Tyrant? Not too shabby. He waited until Shuichi was finished with his exercise before speaking.

"I trust I am not interrupting anything, Mr. Saotome." he said in a tone that showed his sophistication and an undertone of his power. It made me shiver a bit.

"Not at all, sir. I was just finishing up. Can I help you?" Shuichi replied. The man gave a light bow and introduced himself.

"My name is Seiichirou. Seiichirou Tyrant. I am the head of a company that takes the old and makes it new. We are a historical organization, of a sorts. Our main order of business involves your research. You see, I have heard talk of your accomplishments in the field of Mu. My organization could very much use your expertise."

"Ah," Shuichi said, with a intrigued look. "While I _was _expecting the pitch, you have my interest. Why should I join with your people when others would have me?" Tyrant smiled.

"We at Mu have a goal. You see, according to what we have uncovered on out own, Mu will reappear again in a few years." This caught Shuichi's excitement. His eyes got wide and his smile spread wide. "We would like your help in preparing for our plans. You would, of course, have all the funding and materials you would need that wouldn't be available otherwise. _We_ are the main research facility of the Lost Continent, and _you_ are the authority in the field outside of us. You alone have discovered things we have been simply unable to solve. Together, we could solve _every _mystery of Mu! What do you say, my boy?" Shuichi was practically drooling at the thought of all the work he could get down with such resources. But then he blinked at something.

"Every thing has a price, Mr. Tyrant. What's yours?" He asked. Smart move, too. Tyrant nodded, conceding to the point.

"You need only to swear yourself to our cause. Your loyalty to me." He made a face." But you must understand, what we are doing could destroy us if it got out too early. It is necessary." Shuichi looked conflicted. Like you had just asked him to chose between his parents. "I'll let you think about it. I look forward to a positive answer from you, young man." He turned to leave, with Shuichi sitting down to meditate. There was another flash of blue.

*End Flash back*

I was a little disoriented. I look at Kenichi for answers. He nodded, understanding the unspoken question.

~Temporal Trance.~ He said. ~ It is an ability our people developed from moving in and out of this plane of Existence. We are capable of repeating actions in combat, something I will demonstrate later, and in your case, see a persons past. I would keep quiet about it, though. It is considered quite rude by some.~ I nodded, getting the idea. But I wonder how the battle thing could work in our advantage?

By this time Shuichi had come out of his daze. "You have no idea just how tempted I was to except that offer." I wouldn't say that, I thought. "It was truly a dream come true, at the time, and I may have said yes." We both stood up just as Sora decided to resume her Pokémon form. We started walking and I absolutely had to ask the question that he was probably expecting. "So what made you decide against the idea of accepting?" And why should I continue to trust you after hearing that, though that part was left unsaid.

"I met a merchant that sold eggs. I always had the tendency to check such things out for unusual finds. And at that time, I found one. An egg wrapped in marks of flames, and a nearly invisible, very easily missed unless you were looking for it, rune at the top of the egg. One I had recognized from my research. The very same rune that rests upon Sora's crest." My eye's widened a little at that as I glanced towards Sora. "It means 'flame of a billion suns', so you can imagine my surprise when I did not get a fire type." I took notice of Sora's rune glowing. What ever she just said to Shuichi made him laugh. When I asked what was so funny, he waved me off, saying I wouldn't get it. Oh well.

"Anyway, I thought that with the egg, I had the best research material I could get without being tied down to any one company. So when I met with Tyrant next, I turned him down, much to the mans disappointment. He, of course took it in a very mature manner. I.e. he had his goons gang up on me to take me by force. Go figure. Some time during the ensuing brawl, I must have really impressed the man. Gained his respect, as it were, cause he called it off. It was then that he made me an offer of a different sort." I look at him in curiosity. "It was this. 'One favor.' he had said. 'One favor from me at the insurance that you never directly involve yourself in our affairs.' That was the offer. I agreed." I blinked a few times. I guess I was so caught up in that story that I didn't notice when we got into town. But I suppose I can still trust him. But wait…

"But aren't you getting directly involved now?" I asked him. He gave me this confused look that I just didn't buy.

"Why, whatever are you talking about?" he asked in a mock innocence voice. "All I have done is in the interest of my own research! I would _never_ get involved in a dispute otherwise. All I did, after all, was use the man who just _happened_ to be attacking you as a messenger. I mean, sure I bought you some time, but that was a _complete_ coincidence, I assure you." he finished with a wink. Right. And I am the boogie man. But I'll let it slide. Sneaky bastard. Hold on…

"What about what you told me on the boat? You said you only had her egg for a year!" He _lied_! He sighed, scratched the back of his head. "Well, I lost her." Excuse me? "Well, she was stolen by that merchant when he found out how valuable that egg really was. It took me a while to find her and reclaim her."

"It took her that long to hatch?" I asked. Sora's rune glowed a bit, and he answered for her. "She had already imprinted on me and wouldn't come out till she was back with me." He shrugged. "Go figure."

We stopped by the Pokémon center for lunch and headed for the forest. On the way, Kenichi began explaining in detail, how the Temporal Trance worked. I didn't get most of the mechanics of it, but here is what it boiled down to. 1) I can watch someone's past by looking at them as they recall it. Kenichi, and according to him most others, cannot do this. Something to do with my title as the Mistress of Souls. 2) In a fight, when performing a move that looks especially cool(like, say, a rising punch), an observer would see it happening three times from three different angles. Where as if it experienced by the one attacking, it will just do triple the damage. 3) And most importantly, it is completely random. No control over it what-so-ever. We can't. Only Pokémon like Dialga would be able to it at will. Well, I suppose that isn't completely true. I guess one with a great deal of experience with it could conceivably set a move up so that it would trigger the Trance, but that is really difficult. Though, Kenichi did mention that the Fang was particularly skilled at it, but the memory was foggy, so who is to say?

My musing was interrupted by a noise from my computer. We had just reached to edge of town when it went off. It kind of spooked Kenichi, as he went on the defensive, Sora snickering at him from above. It was kind of funny. It was at times like this that one remembers that Kenichi is really unfamiliar with today's world, though he hides it pretty well. I looked at the computer strapped across my shoulder.

"An E-mail?" Funny, I haven't given anyone my new E-mail address. Come to think of it, I haven't even set it up yet. I whipped out the laptop and started typing in commands instantly, as the others looked on in curiosity. Or in Kenichi's case, embarrassment. Shuichi appeared to be mildly impressed with my speed. Kenichi started looking agitated, like he could sense something, but couldn't tell from where. At least, that was the impression I got. I looked back to the screen, noticing the lack of any information on the file that had been mysteriously sent to my computer. I highlighted it to be sure.

"Whoa." I couldn't stop the word from escaping my lips as Suichi whistled. The cause? The E-mail, while seemingly empty, took up 10 gigabytes of space. Not enough to cause problems, but that is still pretty damn big. It was far too big for any known virus, and I was pretty well versed with most of them, but still… I had to find out what it was. So I opened it. I know, real intelligent. An unknown file appears on your computer and you open it?!? But hey, I had to know.

The screen burst in a flash of light as something completely unexpected happened. While Kenichi was in front of me the second the light burst forth, something materialized in front of the computer. We all stared in shock at what we saw. First an out line. Then shade. Finally, color. What hovered before us was a Porygon. A Porygon that had just come out of my computer! _My_ computer! And as soon as it appeared, it collapsed on to the ground, wounded.

Now, I… am a computer geek. No question. And computer geeks, as a generalization, have two things set as highly valuable. The first would be their computer, obviously. The second, would be the living computer program that is the Pokémon known as Porygon. The very sight of one before me made me drool a little bit. So, naturally, I do the first thing that came to my mind.

Faster than I would later think was physically possible for me, 120 mph, according the Kenichi, I threw a Pokéball at the wounded Pokémon. Now, little known fact about Porygon. As a living computer program, it could mess with the function of the Pokéball and break free without breaking a sweat. This makes capturing one _really _difficult. A similar problem happens with Psychic and ghost types, but that's off topic. The only way to capture a Porygon is either 1) knock it completely unconscious, which is rather unethical, or 2) for it to _want_ you to capture it. Considering the state this particular one was in, I would say both requirements were being fulfilled. I'll have Kenichi and Sora get an explanation out of it later. Any way, yeah, I caught it. With out much resistance, at that.

More calmly then I felt at the moment, I slowly walked over to the capture zone. I picked up the ball and did something that will forever haunt me. To my greatest shame, I struck a goody-two-shoes pose(raising the right leg backwards while putting both of the fists close to the chin) and _squealed_. Now, let us make something _perfectly clear_. I do _not__squeal_. Under any circumstances. It is just wrong. Giddy? Yes. An occasional giggle? Sure. But _squealing_? I feel dirty, now.

I turned, stricken with shame, towards my companions. They were all kind of looking at me with wide eyes and Shuichi was even snickering a bit. So I shot them my Glare From Hell(the one where ones head seems to grow in size and the eyes seem to become red) with the female Aura of the Oni(the one where you see a demon head behind the person) for good measure. That is some scary shit, you know?

"You. Saw. _NOTHING!_" I growled at them. "Clear?" There were no objections, as they all look like they were about to soil themselves. Well, Sora kind of did, but you get the point. "Lets get back to the Pokémon Center. Can't let this little guy stay like this for to long, right?" I said as I headed back into town.

* * *

So sorry this took so long. It was a combination of me be a slacker and both my sister and I drawing blanks. I'll try to fix that. Now I know some of the dialog was suckish. I tried to fix that, too, but couldn't come up with anything. You also have my apologize for that. Anyway, it shouldn't be quite that long till the next chapter, so bare with me here. Oh, yeah. Some guy made a comment about lord Tyranny's name, so I hope this clears up my reasoning for that. It's just messing with his actual name. One of which I have actually heard before. Just saying.


End file.
